comScore’s annual 2015 Canada Digital Future in Focus report reveals that Canadians prefer mobile devices to desktops while browsing the web and viewing online videos indicating that the use of smartphones and tablets is on the rise.
With over 81 per cent usage, smartphones have become the first choice of mobiles as compared to feature phones which are used by just 18.8 per cent of the population. Within the smartphone segment, Apple is leading the pack with 38.3 per cent market share with Samsung following with 32.4 per cent share.
Considering that Canada is BlackBerry’s home turf, the company comes in at third with 8.9 per cent share followed by Google at 5.3 per cent.
In the feature phone segment, Samsung is the leader with 36.8 per cent share followed by LG at 25 per cent share.
If we look at the mobile operating system share, Android leads with 50.5 per cent share followed by iOS at 38.3 per cent.
As far as the usage trends go, users have registered growth in social media use through smartphones with daily access increasing by 19 per cent in December 2014 as compared to December 2013. According to the report 53 per cent users access social networking sites through smartphones; 48 per cent playing games on smartphones; 52 per cent listening to radio using smartphones; and 79 per cent accessing photos on a smartphone.
Tablet use is also increasing with as many as 32 per cent users now playing games on tablets owing to bigger screens and better resolution.
Over 80 per cent users are now accessing instant messaging and gaming on mobile platform and 69 per cent access social media sites through mobile devices – be it smartphones or tablets.
The report also notes that banking and retail apps are garnering increased attention as Canadians find such apps highly handy for their ease of use and simplicity.
As of December 2014, there were a whopping 19.7 million smartphones owners – a 19 per cent increase since June 2013 whereas 9.3 million tablet owners – a 56 per cent jump over June 2013.
Canadians are also increasingly using mobile devices to watch TV or using a mobile device while watching TV. comScore noted that 32.2 per cent of Canadian smartphone subscribers used their phone while watching TV, and that 35 per cent of Canadian smartphone subscribers who own a tablet used it while watching TV.
